Method and apparatus for emptying and filling centrifuges



Sept. 27, 1966 S. G. EKEGREN ETAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EMPTYING AND FILLING CENTRIFUGES Filed Aug. 15. 1963 INVENTOR. Sven Gunnar Eke ren I,sier Verner Hara/d lad/7 United States Patent O 3,275,142 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EMPTYING AND FILLING CENTRIFUGES Sven G. Ekegren, Uttran, and Per V. H. Bladh, Tullinge,

Sweden, assignors to Aktiebolaget Separator, Stockholm, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Aug. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 302,433 Claims priority, application Sweden, Aug. 27, 1962, 9,262/ 62 8 Claims. (Cl. 210-78) This invention relates to centrifugation of materials, especially compressible fibrous materials, fand has particular reference to an improved method and apparatus for filling the centrifuge with such material and emptying it of the centrifuged material.

In the processin-g of wool for textile use, for example, the wool is freed of wool fat and impurities by Washing it with a suitable organic solvent, usually white spirits or the like. The wool is then freed as completely as possible of the washing liquid, generally and preferably by a centrifugation of the wet wool wherein the centrifugally separated liquid is recovered and returned to the washing operation.

Heretofore, filling the centrifuge with the wet wool and removing the dry Wool from the centrifuge have been effected manually while the centrifuge rotor is stationary. To facilitate these operations somewhat, it is possible to place the wool in baskets which can be placed into and removed from the rotor. It is obvious, however, that these manual operations are laborious and time-consum- 111g.

By the present invention, these manual operations are entirely replaced by a mechanical process which is automated to such extent that only supervision and setting of the automation, and possibly correction of the setting, are required for full operation of the plant. A further advantage of the invention is that the centrifuge filling and emptying apparatus can be used with previously installed, conventional centrifuges without requiring any modification thereof, and a complete automation of the centrifuge operation can easily be effected at reasonable costs.

Since the discharge and the filling are entirely mechanized, the centrifuge does not need to be opened at any moment during the operation, which ensures a better protection of the operators and facilitates the scavenging in the factory. Also, the problem of transportation of the centrifuged material is solved in an advantageous manner.

In the method of the present invention, the centrifuged material is discharged through an exhaust pipe which is introduced into the centrifuge rotor during operation,

`preferably in the axial direction of the rotor axis and within or in proximity to the body of material, while the rotor is rotating at reduced speed, and the exhaust pipe is withdrawn from the centrifuge after the centrifuged material has been discharged, the centrifuge then being relled with material and the rotor accelerated to normal operating speed.

In the preferred method of the invention, two centrifuges are operated alternately in such way that each centrifuge is filled while the other is being discharged, and automatic devices control the alternate discharge and filling of the centrifuges.

According to the invention, the centrifuge filling and emptying apparatus comprises the aforesaid exhaust pipe reference being made to the attached drawing in which the single illustration is a schematic side-elevational view, partly in section, of a plant provided with two alternatingly operating centrifuges according to the invention.

The two centrifuges as illustrated, designated A and B, respectively, are strictly alike both in size, type and equipment. Therefore, corresponding parts of the two are marked with the same reference numerals, those for centrifuge A having the sux a added.

Reference numeral 1 designates the housing of the centrifuge and 2 its rotor. A pipe 3 is telescopically arranged inside an exhaust pipeline 4 connected to the centrifuge from above and at one side of the vertical axis of the Irotor. Pipe 3 is displaceable axially (parallel to the rotor axis) so that it can be inserted into and With-- drawn from the centrifuge rotor 2 Vthrough its open top. Alternatively, pipe 3 may be telescopically arranged outside the exhaust pipeline 4, so that the pipe 3 can be inserted in and withdrawn from the centrifuge rotor 2 eccentrically in relation to the rotor axis and radially within or in the proximity to the centrifuged material, which is pressed against the inside of the rotor wall by the centrifugal force.

The end 6 of the pipe 3 which faces the centrifuge is bevelled, preferably in such way that its edge plane forms an angle of about 45 with the nearest generating line of the rotor wall, which angle ensures optimum exhaust when discharging the centrifuge by approximating the angle of the surface of the material. The insertion of pipe 3 into and its withdrawal from the centrifuge rotor are caused by control means comprising a pneumatically or hydraulically actuated cylinder 5 hinged at its upper end to a container 10, as shown at 14, and a piston in the cylinder having a hinged connection 15 to the upper portion of pipe 3.

rIlhe end of the exhaust pipeline 4 which is remote from the centrifuge is connected to an exhaust pipeline 7 which is common to both centrifuges A `and B, whereby pipeline 7 can be alternately connected to the one or the other centrifuge by switching a damper (not shown).

Reference numeral t8 designates a conveyor, shown schematically, which supplies the non-centrifuged stock to the plant. 'Ilhis stock is dis-tributed alternately to the centrifuges A and B from conveyor 8 by a reversibleconveyor 9. The conveyor 9 supplies the non-centrifuged stock into the open top of a funnel-like storage andV and 18 for actuating the respective sectionsk of the damper .11.1 l

The peripheral wall of the rotor 2 is provided with smal-l perforations (not shown) so that the separated washing liquid can be ejected centrifugally and collectedin the centrifuge housing 1,y from which it may be discharged through pipe 20. The centrifuge housing 1 may lbe provided with a cover (not shown) through which the exhaust pipe 4 as well as the outlet of the container 10 penetrate slightly into the centrifuge rotor 2. In order to allow external air to be sucked into the centrifuge during the discharge process, such cover or the top of the centrifuge housing 1 can be provided with a-djustable louvers (not shown). It will be understood that rotor 2 is supported and driven from below by a vertical shaft 2'1 projecting centrally through the bottom of stationary housing 1.l

In operation, damper `1=1 is operated by V.its control means 12 'to till rotor 2 Alwith the wet wool or other material while the rotor is being accelerated'flrom its reduced emptying .speed to its normal operatingspeed. The high speed centrifuging is then carried out for a time period suliicient to effect the desired removal of Washing liquid from the material through the perforated rotor Wall, after which the'rotor speed is reduced and pipe 3 is lowered axially into the rotor by operation of the con- 'trol means including cylinder 5; This discharge is facilitated by the tendency of the centrifuged material to expand radially inward toward the rotor axis as the centri- |fugal force is reduced due to reduction of the rotor speed.

The material thus scooped by pipe 3 from the rotating l body of material in rotor 2 is sucked continuously through lpipe 3 and pipeline 4 into exhaust pipeline 7 common to i to rotor 2a from container 10a, under control of the cor'- responding damper control means 12a. After rotor 2a has been driven at high speed for the required time period, it is emptied in the manner described in connection with centrifuge B, while the latter is being refilled.

As mentioned previously, the above-described apparatus is operated fully automatically. That is, the displacements ofthe pipes 3 and 3a into and out of the centrifuges, the decrease -an'd increase of the rotational speed of the centrifuges, the switching over and the control of the damper in the exhaust pipeline 7 and of the dampers 11 and 11a, and the reversing of the conveyor 9, are con- -trolled 4and synchronized by a suitable program-unit so that the `centrifuges operate alternately as previously described.

The invention is not limited to the treatment of compressible and fibrous materia-ls but can also be used in the centrifugation of all kinds of solid materials suitable for air-bornev transportation.

We claim:

1. In the Vcentrifugation of a compressible fibrous-material with the use of .a centrifuge rotor and an exhaust pipe,

the method which comprises filling the rotor with said material while accelerating the rotor to an yoperating speed for centrifuging said material, forming an annular body of centrifuged materialV in the outer part of the rotor, introducing said pipe into the rotor and in proximity tolsaid vbody while` reducing the rotor speed, inducingfa suction in said pipe whereby material is sucked from the rotating bodyby the pipe and discharged from the rotor,` withdrawing said pipe from the rotor, andreiilling the` rotor i with ,a new batch of said materialwhile accelerating the rotor to said operating speed.

2. Apparatus for centrifuging compressible brous material, which comprises a centrifugal rotor, a discharge pipeline leading from the rotor, a tubular suction member telescopically fitted relative to the pipeline and movable axially thereof into the rotor'to suck centrifuged material from the outer part of the rotor, suction means com-munieating with said pipeline and tubular member, and control means for moving the tubular member relative to the pipeline and into the rotor and for withdrawing the tubular member from the rotor relative to the pipeline.

3. Apparatus .as defined in claim 2, in which the rotor axis is vertical and the end of said tubular member adjacent the rotor is bevelled to form an acute angle with the nearest generating Wall of the rotor, `which angle `approximates the angle of the surface of the centrifuged Y material. -Y

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2in which sai-dicontrolmeans include an actuating cylinder and piston. n

' 5. Apparatus as defined in cl-aim 2, in which said tubular member is offset laterally from the rotor axis yand movable parallel .to saidaxis. Y 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, lin which `said tubular member is offset laterally from therotor axis and movable parallel to said axis,-the apparatus comprising also a fee'd container for sai-d material having an outlet,

opening into the rotor on said axis.

7. Apparatus for centrifulging compressible fibrous material, which comprises a pair of centrifugal rotors, a discharge pipeline leading from each rotor, a tubular suction member telescopically fitted relative to each pipe. line and movable axially thereof into the corresponding rotor to suck centrifuged material from the outer partV of the rotor,suction means communicatingwith eachY pipeline and each tubular member, control'means for moving each tubular member relative to the corresponding pipeline and into the corresponding .rotor and 1 for withdrawing each ,tubular member from the corresponding rotor relative to `the corresponding pipeline, said control means being ad-apted to `move each .tubular member independently of theV other -tubular member, a discharge pipe common to Vsaid rotors and to which said discharge pipelines lead, and supply control means for admitting material alternately to said rotors.

8. In the centrifugation of a compressible fibrous material with the use of first and lsecond centrifugal rotors and first and second exhaust pipes for 4the respective rotors, the method which comprises` repeatedly performing a first series of steps including 4filling the first rotor with said material from a supply source, accelerating the iirst rotor to an operating speed for centrifuging said material as ythe iirst rotor is being filled, forming an ,annular body of centrifuged materia-l in the outer part of the filled first rotor, introducing the first pipe ,into the iirst rotor and in proximity` to said body therein While reducing `the iirst rotor speed, inducing a suction in said 4lirst pipe whereby material is sucked from the rotating body by the 'first pipeand discharged fromthe first rotor, and withdrawing said first pipe from the iirstrotor prior to refilling of ythe first rotor, and repeatedly performing a second series of steps including filling said second rotor first pipe .from the first rotor, inducing .a suction in the Ysecond pipe whereby material is sucked from the rotating body in the vsecond rotor by the second pipe and discharged from the second rotor, and withdrawing 4,the

5 6 second pipe from the second rotor during reintroductien 2,614,134 10/ 1952 Powers 210-78 X of the first pipe into the rst rotor and prior to refilling 2,828,020 3/i1958- Huser et a1 210-371 X the second rotor. OTHER REFERENCES References Cited by the Examiner 5 German primed application 1,090,584, october 1960. UNITED STATES PATENTS REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Primary Examiner.

1,048,905 12/1912 SPeTl'Y 21o-377 X J. DECE'SARE, Assistant Examiner. 2,360,455 10/1944 Viltel 21o-376 

1. IN THE CENTRIFUGATION OF A COMPRESSIBLE FIBROUS MATERIAL WITH THE USE OF A CENTRIFUGE ROTOR AND AN EXHAUST PIPE, THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES FILLING THE ROTOR WITH SAID MATERIAL WHILE ACCELERATING THE ROTOR TO AN OPERATING SPEED FOR CENTRIFUGING SAID MATERIAL, FORMING AN ANNULAR BODY OF CENTRIFUGED MATERIAL IN THE OUTER PART OF THE ROTOR, INTRODUCING SAID PIPE INTO THE ROTOR AND IN PROXIMITY TO SAID 